By the numbers

January 2014, Vol 45, No. 1

Print version: page 14

3x

How much more likely a driver is to get into a crash when manipulating a phone — say, reaching for it, dialing or texting — than when using a hands-free phone, according to a study from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.

10.4%

Percentage of 14- to 20-year-olds who reported misusing painkillers or sedatives by taking the drugs to get high or taking someone else's drugs, for example, at least once in the last year, according to a study in the November issue of Pediatrics that surveyed young people in an emergency department.

12.2%

Percentage of women ages 50 and older who are satisfied with their bodies, according to an October study online in the Journal of Women & Aging. Those women exercised more, had lower body mass indexes, had fewer eating disorder symptoms and had better overall functioning. However, they engaged in appearance-altering behaviors, such as plastic surgery, as much as their dissatisfied counterparts.

59%

Percentage of Internet users who say that online dating is a good way to meet people, according to a survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. That's up from the 44 percent who said so in 2005.